Pedestrian “Traffic” The recent uptick in car vs. pedestrian accidents is inevitable. Bend has fostered or at least ignored the basic rules and laws involving pedestrians, bicyclists and motor vehicle traffic. The basic applicable laws state that pedestrians have the right of way, in a crosswalk, whether it is a “regulated” crosswalk or not. That’s […]
Source Weekly Bend
Posted inFood & Drink
Little Bites: Ariana, Bethlyn’s Global Fusion & Root Cellar
Ariana selected for OpenTable “Best Restaurant” category With a fine attention to detail, a rotating seasonal menu and the use of high-quality, locally-grown ingredients, Ariana Restaurant is no stranger to big praise by critics and writers who’ve dined there. This year, Ariana has been awarded, for the second year in a row, the OpenTable 100 […]
Posted inFood & Drink
The Other Beer City USA
On a tour of U.S. beer, Grand Rapids stakes a claim
Many, many towns and municipalities across the US call themselves “Beer City” these days. During my travels around beer country, I still say Bend, of course, is the best one. (That statement’s in print, so it must be true.) The western Michigan city of Grand Rapids is the only one actively promoting “Beer City” as […]
Posted inOutside
Natural World: Why Coyotes like it in Town
(Hint: There are cats there)
A recent television report about coyotes living in Bend surprised some people. It shouldn’t, since there are coyotes living all over North America today, eating mule deer fawns, chickens and cats—thanks to the actions of the government trappers that started killing coyotes over 100 years ago. They thought they could kill coyotes as easily as […]
Posted inNews
Lessons from the Ghost Ship Fire
Safety in public spaces is a priority for local officials—but artists say the deadly Oakland fire is a testament to the financial squeeze put on creatives
Earlier this month, 36 people died in the fire inside the Ghost Ship, a multipurpose artist’s space and sometimes-venue in Oakland, Calif. According to reports from survivors, escaping the second-floor gathering space required navigating through a confusing maze of smoke and turning staircases. Officials in Oakland have ruled out arson, according to Oakland’s “East Bay […]
Posted inCulture
Picks 12/14-12/21
Thursday 15 – Friday 16 “The Night Before the Night Before Christmas” CHRISTMAS SHOW—This show puts the “fun” back in dysfunctional as we follow an older man on his mission to cancel Christmas. From local playwright Cricket Daniel, “The Night Before the Night Before Christmas” is a reprise of the run that sold out 2nd […]
Posted inCulture
Deck the Hall with Booze and Cocaine
“Office Christmas Party” brings the laughs
Writing reviews of comedies is always a fickle mistress, because it basically comes down to describing very relative crap that makes you laugh. Another interesting aspect to think about is whether to hold comedies to the same standard as other movies in more serious genres. If a comedy succeeds in making you laugh then hasn’t […]
Posted inOpinion
What’s Next, Legislature?
Governor’s budget works to protect seniors and students, but it can only go so far
Early this month, Gov. Kate Brown released her recommended budget for the 2017-19 biennium. The budget’s title: “Strategic Investments for Challenging Times.” “Sustaining hard fought gains is nearly impossible with a tax system that is unstable, inadequate to meet our essential needs, and fundamentally out of balance,” said Gov. Brown. In November, voters approved Measure […]
Posted inNews
The Battle to Smoke in a Public Space
As Smoke Signals noted a few weeks ago, Denver took a big leap forward last month by becoming the first major city to legalize “social” use of cannabis. After Colorado legalized cannabis in 2014, Denverites began exploring the limits of the new law. Like other nearby towns, entrepreneurs in Colorado’s largest city sought to open […]
Posted inCulture
Night Moves
“Nocturnal Animals” is a challenging work of art
The opening credits for “Nocturnal Animals” let the audience know exactly what they’re getting into. Slow motion shots of morbidly obese women grinding with American flags and sparklers as director (and designer) Tom Ford’s camera lingers on their eyes, pouty lips and massive flesh. Within seconds, my jaw dropped and remained that way for the […]
